There’s no Christian genocide in Benue – Gov Alia counters President Trump, US Govt

For more than a decade, Benue State has stood at the frontline of deadly attacks, from armed herders, bandits and extremist-linked militias battling over land, ideology and survival.

Entire villages have been wiped out, farmlands seized, and families forced into camps where survival has become a daily struggle, IDOMA VOICE observed.

In April this year, optimism rose when the newly sworn-in governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, a Catholic priest turned politician, declared emphatically that the killings were religiously targeted.

He positioned himself as the people’s voice, stating on national television that Christian farming communities were under coordinated assault.

Benue citizens believed him, because they were living that reality.

Today, many say that belief has been betrayed.

On Wednesday, during a consultative forum on the protection of IDPs organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Abuja, Governor Alia stunned observers with a complete reversal of his earlier position.

He insisted there is no genocide, religious, ethnic, or otherwise. in Benue State.

“In my state of Benue, we don’t have any religious, any ethnic, any racial, any national or state genocide. We don’t have that.”
“Do we have insecurity? Yes. But it is not a genocide. Someone would need to check the United Nations definition for this.”

The governor also dismissed claims of any Islamic jihad taking place in Nigeria, despite Boko Haram and ISWAP openly pursuing extremist religious rule in parts of the North-east.

“We do not have any jihad in Nigeria,” he said.
“If such existed, particularly in my state, I would be the first to raise the alarm.”

Nigeria has been under a global microscope over accusations of Christian persecution:

Former U.S. President Donald Trump designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC)

His administration warned of “Christian genocide”

Threatening U.S. military intervention to “save Christians”

Although the CPC designation was later lifted by President Joe Biden’s administration, concerns remain widespread among U.S.-based religious advocacy groups.

A BBC investigation however reported that figures cited to support genocide claims could not be independently verified — an argument the Nigerian government frequently points to.

Governor Alia said he has personally met with U.S. embassy officials to correct what he described as misrepresentation:

“The UN definition of genocide does not fit our situation in Benue.”

Back home, his comments have deepened trauma rather than eased it.

At the Daudu IDP camp in Guma Local Government, displaced widow Seriya Ihongo fought back tears:

“If this is not genocide, what do you call what they did to us?”
“They killed my husband because he refused to renounce his faith.”

A youth leader in Logo LGA described the statement as a political betrayal:

“He spoke like a priest before. Now he speaks like Abuja politicians. We are the ones suffering — not those defining English words in offices.”

While leaders debate terminology, the numbers tell a stark story:

📍 Over 800 people killed in Benue in the last two years
📍 Close to 400 kidnapped
📍 June 14: 100+ villagers massacred in Yelewata, Guma LGA
📍 Tens of thousands still in IDP camps

Human rights advocate Joseph Orkuma warns:

“When leaders deny the scale of atrocities, it weakens the push for justice. Survivors feel silenced for political convenience.”

A Governor Caught Between Two Fronts

Some political observers say Alia’s new tone is intended to protect Nigeria diplomatically.

But to those still grieving, this sounds like erasure.

A mother at Abagena camp put it plainly:

“We want truth. We want safety. Not grammar.”

Where Does Benue Go from Here?

Governor Alia once spoke boldly about the religious targeting of his people.
Now, in the corridors of power, he has pulled back — choosing caution over confrontation.

In doing so, he may have gained influence in international diplomacy…
but lost trust among those who still sleep in fear.

For a state that has buried too many loved ones,
words matter and the people are listening.